HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., today offered a resolution condemning the Arizona shooting incident that took place earlier this month and reaffirming the bedrock principles memorialized in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. House members unanimously adopted the measure.
An alleged assassination attempt against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, D-Arizona, took place on Jan. 8 in Tucson. A lone gunman opened fire during a “Congress on Your Corner” event. In all, 13 people were wounded and six people killed, including the Honorable John Roll (a federal judge and Pennsylvania native) and 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green (granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green).
"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed and will bear those wounds forever.
"When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are touched by such a tragedy."
Waters compared the Tucson shooting to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."
The resolution (H.R. 18) not only expressed the sympathy of the House of Representatives for the victims and hope for the rapid and complete recovery of those wounded, but also applauded the bravery and quick thinking of those who stopped the gunman.
“As elected leaders, it is imperative that we fight for a democracy in which all can participate and in which intimidation and threats of violence cannot silence the voices of any American,” Waters said.
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Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
PLBC members condemn Tucson shooting, express support for victims and families, urge Americans to come together
HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, said today that members of the caucus are deeply saddened by the Jan. 8 assassination attempt against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, in Tucson, which left six dead, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge.
Giffords and 13 other people were wounded in the shooting.
"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona this past weekend," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed forever."
The shooting claimed the life of the Honorable John Roll, a seasoned and respected federal judge who was a Pennsylvania native and was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush. Also among the dead was nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was the granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green. She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States experienced one of the most tragic losses of innocent life in the country's history.
"This young life was snatched away from us, and we do not know what she would have become," Waters said. "When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are also touched by such a tragedy."
State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., vice chairwoman of the PLBC, said she feels a personal connection to the congresswoman who was attacked.
"As a fellow National Foundation for Women Legislators member, Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s plight this past weekend really struck a chord with me. In fact, it only served to reinforce the fact that being a public official can be both a rewarding yet a potentially dangerous job. This senseless tragedy was reprehensible in every respect, and whether or not it was precipitated by the ever-heated political climate does not make this crime any more or less egregious," Brown said. "My deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy, and it is my hope that we all as legislators learn from this shooting and move swiftly in the direction of tightening current gun laws."
State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said the shooting should remind politicians of the reasons they chose to become an elected official.
"This tragedy is a wake-up call for all politicians," Kitchen said. "While we all share a passion for serving our constituents, we definitely need to tone down the divisive rhetoric. We can do that by sticking to the facts on issues and rejecting political extremism. We're here to serve the people, not a political agenda."
Waters compared the Tucson shooting to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,'s assassination.
"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."
PLBC members said their deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy.
Giffords and 13 other people were wounded in the shooting.
"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona this past weekend," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed forever."
The shooting claimed the life of the Honorable John Roll, a seasoned and respected federal judge who was a Pennsylvania native and was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush. Also among the dead was nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was the granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green. She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States experienced one of the most tragic losses of innocent life in the country's history.
"This young life was snatched away from us, and we do not know what she would have become," Waters said. "When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are also touched by such a tragedy."
State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., vice chairwoman of the PLBC, said she feels a personal connection to the congresswoman who was attacked.
"As a fellow National Foundation for Women Legislators member, Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s plight this past weekend really struck a chord with me. In fact, it only served to reinforce the fact that being a public official can be both a rewarding yet a potentially dangerous job. This senseless tragedy was reprehensible in every respect, and whether or not it was precipitated by the ever-heated political climate does not make this crime any more or less egregious," Brown said. "My deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy, and it is my hope that we all as legislators learn from this shooting and move swiftly in the direction of tightening current gun laws."
State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said the shooting should remind politicians of the reasons they chose to become an elected official.
"This tragedy is a wake-up call for all politicians," Kitchen said. "While we all share a passion for serving our constituents, we definitely need to tone down the divisive rhetoric. We can do that by sticking to the facts on issues and rejecting political extremism. We're here to serve the people, not a political agenda."
Waters compared the Tucson shooting to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,'s assassination.
"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."
PLBC members said their deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy.
Friday, December 17, 2010
National Black Caucus of State Legislators ratifies Rep. Waters’ resolutions on Arizona immigration, cultural competency in healthcare
HARRISBURG, Dec. 17 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) chairman, State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., introduced two resolutions at the annual conference of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) in Atlanta. The NBCSL—whose membership includes African-American state legislators throughout the United States—ratified the resolutions condemning the Arizona immigration law, and supporting cultural competency training for health care professionals.
State Rep. Waters’ healthcare resolution stresses that cultural awareness and cultural competency are essential skills for providing quality health care to a diverse patient population, yet only a small percentage of medical schools and teaching institutions currently provide formal training.
In his resolution, Waters says “the NBCSL recognizes the role of cultural competency training in promoting communication at the provider, care institution, health plan, national and state levels is likely to contribute to success in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of high quality care.” Further, “the NBCSL calls on states to require healthcare professionals, in order to be eligible to receive or renew licensure, certification or registration, as applicable, to submit evidence to the appropriate state board that the professional has successfully completed the board's requirements for instruction or continuing education in cultural competency.”
The resolution also urges state medical boards to consider problems of race and gender-based disparities in health care treatment decisions; approve continuing education courses addressing cultural competency in health care treatment, and consult professionally relevant and nationally recognized organizations when adopting new rules.
According to the Urban Institute, health disparities among African Americans and Latinos relative to whites cost the health care system $23.9 billion in 2009, including $700 million in Pennsylvania. Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion, and private health insurers an additional $5.1 billion due to elevated rates of chronic illness among these groups. From 2009 through 2018, it is estimated the total cost of these disparities will be $337 billion, including $220 billion for Medicare.
“The costs to treat the diseases which result from Health and Healthcare disparities represent one of the recognized areas of unnecessary and arguably avoidable healthcare delivery costs. Specifically, in certain instances both prevention and more cost efficient management of chronic disease states can significantly reduce healthcare costs,” according to Dr. Lee Kirsey, MD, co-founder of The Center for Health Improvement and Economic Development, and Michele Jones, MSW, Manager of Partnership Development and Community Relations at Fox Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
In his second resolution passed by the NBCSL, Waters condemned Arizona Senate Bill 1070, also known as the Arizona Immigration Law. Signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010, the law makes it a misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents, and authorizes police to ask suspected undocumented immigrants about their status. A federal court is reviewing the constitutionality of key provisions of the law.
The NBCSL resolution criticizes the Arizona law for violating the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with federal immigration power and authority, and urges state governments and public officials to refrain from doing business with the state of Arizona.
“Arizona Senate Bill 1070 reminds us that we must remain vigilant when faced with threats to democracy and civil rights,” Waters said in his resolution. “The State of Arizona previously demonstrated a disregard for the legacy of civil rights when it became the last state of the Union to observe the Martin Luther King holiday,” Waters added. “The Arizona Law is oppressive in nature and promotes racial profiling and separatism similar to the Nuremberg laws in Nazi Germany, Jim Crow Laws in the former Confederate States and the Apartheid laws in South Africa.”
The PLBC was founded in 1973. Its purpose is to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of African-American, Latino, and other minority citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The PLBC is a member of the NBCSL, which is based in Washington, D.C.
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State Rep. Waters’ healthcare resolution stresses that cultural awareness and cultural competency are essential skills for providing quality health care to a diverse patient population, yet only a small percentage of medical schools and teaching institutions currently provide formal training.
In his resolution, Waters says “the NBCSL recognizes the role of cultural competency training in promoting communication at the provider, care institution, health plan, national and state levels is likely to contribute to success in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of high quality care.” Further, “the NBCSL calls on states to require healthcare professionals, in order to be eligible to receive or renew licensure, certification or registration, as applicable, to submit evidence to the appropriate state board that the professional has successfully completed the board's requirements for instruction or continuing education in cultural competency.”
The resolution also urges state medical boards to consider problems of race and gender-based disparities in health care treatment decisions; approve continuing education courses addressing cultural competency in health care treatment, and consult professionally relevant and nationally recognized organizations when adopting new rules.
According to the Urban Institute, health disparities among African Americans and Latinos relative to whites cost the health care system $23.9 billion in 2009, including $700 million in Pennsylvania. Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion, and private health insurers an additional $5.1 billion due to elevated rates of chronic illness among these groups. From 2009 through 2018, it is estimated the total cost of these disparities will be $337 billion, including $220 billion for Medicare.
“The costs to treat the diseases which result from Health and Healthcare disparities represent one of the recognized areas of unnecessary and arguably avoidable healthcare delivery costs. Specifically, in certain instances both prevention and more cost efficient management of chronic disease states can significantly reduce healthcare costs,” according to Dr. Lee Kirsey, MD, co-founder of The Center for Health Improvement and Economic Development, and Michele Jones, MSW, Manager of Partnership Development and Community Relations at Fox Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
In his second resolution passed by the NBCSL, Waters condemned Arizona Senate Bill 1070, also known as the Arizona Immigration Law. Signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010, the law makes it a misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents, and authorizes police to ask suspected undocumented immigrants about their status. A federal court is reviewing the constitutionality of key provisions of the law.
The NBCSL resolution criticizes the Arizona law for violating the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with federal immigration power and authority, and urges state governments and public officials to refrain from doing business with the state of Arizona.
“Arizona Senate Bill 1070 reminds us that we must remain vigilant when faced with threats to democracy and civil rights,” Waters said in his resolution. “The State of Arizona previously demonstrated a disregard for the legacy of civil rights when it became the last state of the Union to observe the Martin Luther King holiday,” Waters added. “The Arizona Law is oppressive in nature and promotes racial profiling and separatism similar to the Nuremberg laws in Nazi Germany, Jim Crow Laws in the former Confederate States and the Apartheid laws in South Africa.”
The PLBC was founded in 1973. Its purpose is to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of African-American, Latino, and other minority citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The PLBC is a member of the NBCSL, which is based in Washington, D.C.
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